Drama: McMahon Family Style
by hazeleyedmistress19862004
Summary: All sorts of drama surronds the McMahon family. Especially their charismatic daredevil, Shane. Starring: The McMahons, Paul Levesque/HHH , OC's, others. I only own the story ideas and OC's. Everything else is owned by the WWE and themselves.
1. Chapter 1

Shane McMahon sat in his office at Titan Towers, going through the seemingly insurmountable mound of paperwork on his desk requiring his attention. As he was combing through the mound of paperwork, he heard a light rapping on his office door. Without hesitation, he nonchalantly invited the person on the other side of the door to enter.

"Apparently, I'm not the only one working late tonight." he heard as the door closed behind the person entering.

Shane knew the kind, warm feminine voice all-too-well. He was relieved for the interruption. He had been going through the mound of paperwork on his desk for what seemed like hours, and was starting to get a bit stir-crazy. He dropped the pen in his hand on his desk as he stood up to greet the woman with a hug. "What are you still doing here?" he asked, pulling back and locking eyes with her.

"I could ask you the same thing, Shane-O." the woman quickly replied with a smile as she released her arms from around Shane's waist.

Shane sighed wearily as he turned toward his desk, then back toward his much-welcomed interruption. "Paperwork." He ran a hand through his thick, dark brown hair. "I wanted to try and get through a majority of it before tomorrow." he continued, letting his hand fall back to his side.

"I know the feeling." the woman replied as both she and Shane sat down.

Shane couldn't help but smile admirably at the woman sitting before him. "You shouldn't be working so hard, sis." he teased, eyeing her round, ample belly.

Stephanie McMahon-Levesque turned her attention to her belly, then back to her older brother. She knew he was playing the "big brother", and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself about that. He had always been there for her, and she knew he always would be. "I'm fine, Shane." she said with a grin. "Besides, I'm not the only one that works too hard."

Shane stretched his 6"2' frame as he yawned wearily. "Touché." He cleared his throat as he looked down at his watch. "So…" He paused for a moment. "What's up? What has you here so late?" he asked, realizing the late hour.

"Like I said, I was going through some paperwork for a meeting I have with the rest of the creative team in the morning." Stephanie could tell that her older brother was exhausted. She was tempted to say something about it, but she knew it was no use. Both she, and her older brother, were too much like their father in that respect. To them, work was not work. It was something they truly loved to do. "You look like hell, Shane. Are you okay?"

"Well, thanks, sis."

Stephanie rolled her sapphire-blue eyes in a moment of frustration. "I didn't mean it like that, Shane."

"Well, then what exactly did you mean it, Steph?" he quickly countered.

She sighed, trying to diffuse the frustration she felt beginning to re-build. She hadn't come into her brother's office with the intentions of arguing with him. "What I meant was, you look tired as hell and like something's bothering you. " She took a moment to calm herself. With her frustration fully under control, she eyed him with concern. "You know we've always been able to tell each other everything, and lately… you just seem distant. That's not like you."

Almost instantaneously, Shane recognized and read the concern in his younger sister's eyes. Seeing that concern in her eyes, especially with her being pregnant, momentarily knocked the breath out of him. He silently cursed himself for making her worry as much as she obviously was. He bowed his head, not quite knowing what to say. She was right. There was something bothering him. He just wasn't sure he was ready to accept it, let alone talk about it, though. "I'm sorry, Steph. " he said, bringing his head up to lock eyes with her. "I don't mean to make it seem that way." He sighed as he rubbed his head in frustration. "I just…"

Seeing her older brother so conflicted pained Stephanie. She had never seen him that way before, and it made her wonder what it was that Shane wasn't telling her. She wanted nothing more than to help ease his obvious pain, but it almost seemed as though he wasn't ready for anybody to do that quite yet. "Shane, you're really starting to worry me. What the hell is going on with you? I have never seen you like this before. Whatever it is, good or bad…tell me, please."

Shane wasn't sure how to answer that request. And what's more, he wasn't even sure he could at the moment. He knew Stephanie had a very good point. They had always been able to talk to each other about anything. They had always been extremely close. Sure, they had their share of tiffs. All siblings did at some point. No matter what, they had always remained extremely close throughout their lives, though. It bugged Shane beyond words that he felt he had to hide what it was he was hiding from his younger sister. To make matters worse, he wasn't even sure why he felt that he had to so. "Steph…" He let his words trail off as he fought to keep his composure. "I don't mean to seem so distant from everyone. I've had a lot on my mind these days." he said, unsure of his ability to keep his attempt at a façade going.

"Like what, Shane-O?" she queried. She hoped with her entire being that he would finally open up to her. She wanted desperately to try and help ease the blatant pain and confusion she saw in the chocolate-brown orbs of her older brother. She wasn't entirely sure he would, though. Although they had been able to talk to each other about any and everything throughout the years, she also knew there was a side to the man sitting across from her that was fiercely private when it came to certain things.

"Steph, I'm just not ready to talk about it."

Stephanie sighed. She had anticipated, and maybe even expected, that response from Shane. Despite that anticipation, it didn't make it any easier to see Shane the way he was or to accept the fact he wasn't ready to confide in her. She took comfort in the fact that she knew her older brother was very level-headed when it came to making decisions, and that eventually he would change his mind and explain to her the cause of his obvious grief. "Alright then. You know I'm here for ya when you need me."

"Yeah, I know, sis." he responded with a half-hearted smile.

They sat in a tension-filled silence for what seemed like an eternity, neither one of them knowing what else to say to the other. Unable to take the silence any longer, Stephanie slowly stood up from the chair she had been occupying, and locked eyes with Shane. She smiled warmly at him, and was pleased to see him return the smile, despite seeming forced. "I should probably get going. Paul's probably waiting up for me at home, and we've both got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Shane stood up from his chair and walked around his desk. He wrapped his arms around Stephanie lovingly and gave her a quick peck on the forehead before releasing her. He walked with her to the door of his office, and opened it for her in true gentleman-like fashion. "Tell Paul I said hi and get some sleep. I'll see ya in the morning."

"Will do. You should try and get some sleep yourself, Shane-O." she responded as she closed the office door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

After the door closed behind his sister, Shane walked back over to his desk and sat back down in his chair. He sighed as he again ran a hand through his thick, chocolate-brown hair. He picked up his pen and went back to the mound of paperwork on his desk. He groaned with a hint of frustration when he heard another light rapping on his office door. He immediately thought it was his sister coming back to check on him. "Come in, Steph." he groaned, somewhat annoyed at the interruption.

"Sorry to disappoint, Shane-O." a deep, husky voice replied as the door closed behind them.

Shane turned his attention to where the voice had come from, and was pleasantly surprised to see the two younger men standing in front of him. He gave each one of them a small smile as he stood up and offered each one of them a firm, assertive handshake. "What's up, gentleman? What brings ya by?" he queried as he encouraged them to sit down. By this point, Shane was walking an extremely thin line between trying to be polite and being extremely annoyed when they didn't answer right away. He watched as the two younger men exchanged a momentary glance between them. It was obvious that the older of the two men was the one "in-charge". Or at least it seemed that way to him. All he wanted was to be left alone so he could get through the mound of paperwork on his desk so he could get home to see his family and try to get some sleep. He waited for what seemed like an eternity when he finally crossed that very thin line between politeness and annoyance. "Rhodes, DiBiase… just tell me what the hell you two want to talk to me about, or show yourselves the damn door. I don't have time for this shit."

The second and third-generation superstars again shared a momentary glance. This time, it was a glance letting DiBiase know to take the lead and do the talking, which was a familiar role for Ted. One that he didn't mind at all. Ted cleared his throat as he locked eyes with the older man on the other side of the desk. "Shane… we don't mean to bother ya, but Cody, Randy, and I have been talking for a while, and the three of us had an idea." he said, letting his words trail off.

"Well, if you, Orton, and Rhodes came up with this idea, then why isn't he here with you two? And since we're going down this path… why are you pitching your idea to me? I sure as hell hope that with as long as Orton, and even the two of you, have been here, that you should know to run all that stuff by my dad, Steph, and the rest of the creative team." Shane growled.

A small, sly smile pulled at the edges of Ted's lips. Of course, the three mulit-generational superstars knew the protocol when it came to pitching ideas for storylines, but this time was different. This time was more complicated than normal. "While that may be true, Shane, this time is different." he replied, the expression on his face quickly turning to one of seriousness.

Noticing the smile and hearing Ted's response made Shane's curiosity rise. So much so that, despite being exhausted and annoyed, he decided to further the conversation. "Alright, DiBiase. You've got my attention. Why is it that you, Orton, and Rhodes have decided to come to me first with your idea instead where you three really should've gone?"

Again, a small, sly smile pulled at the edges of Ted's lips. The idea the he had come up with alongside Randy and Cody was probably their best to date. He had to admit at least that much. The more he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that it was probably their most controversial to date as well. And what's more, he found that seeing Shane so obviously intrigued made things even better. "Well, Shane," he began, "Like I said, this time is different."

"And as **I** said before, either spit it out or get the hell out of my office." Shane quickly countered before Ted could say anything else.

Ted was determined to draw this abrupt, impromptu, and very obviously unwanted meeting out as long as he could. And as he thought about it, he wasn't sure why he suddenly had that urge, either. All he knew was that he now had Shane right where he wanted him. "Randy, Cody, and I thought we should bring our idea to you first because we wanted to see what **you **thought about it." he replied.

"Okay, and why's that? You, Rhodes, and Orton all know that I hear the ideas for storylines before they're finalized anyway."

That was the exact answer Ted had expected, and even hoped for, from Shane. Now it's time to lower the boom, he thought to himself. "True, but not too many storylines involve you these days, do they, Shane-O?"

That arrogant, smug little punk, Shane thought to himself after hearing Ted's response. He took a long, deep breath to calm himself before answering. He knew if he didn't, he would end up doing something he would regret. "And I think we all know the reason behind that, now don't we, TJ?" he responded with an ice-cold tone to his voice.

"I don't think that's quite the way Ted meant it, Shane." Cody quickly interjected in the hopes of trying to cut the tension.

"Cody's right. That's not the way I meant it." Ted added.

"Okay… I have a lot of paperwork to get through and I would like to get out of here so I can go home." Shane paused for a moment, unsure if he would be able to keep his composure without doing so. "So, I highly suggest you two had goddamn well better tell me what the hell it is you came here to tell me and quit wasting my time."

"Well, Randy, Cody, and I were talking. We thought about it, and we came up with an idea that involves you and possibly Steph." Ted replied.

"May I remind you that my baby sister just happens to be 5 ½ months pregnant? All three of you of are out of your fucking mind if you think she's going to have anything to do with a storyline while she's pregnant." Shane snapped.

Both Ted and Cody had expected that type of response from Shane. Randy, Ted, Cody, Shane, and Stephanie had all basically grown up around the wrestling business and had known each other since they were younger. After all, it was only natural that they become acquainted with each other due to the fact of what their parents did for a living and the common bond they shared with each other. They each had a mutual respect for the other. An uncomfortable, eerie silence fell across the room. The tension so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

"Will you at least hear us out before you dismiss us completely?" Cody asked, trying to finally break the silence.

"I'll listen to the idea, but as for the dismissal of the idea… I reserve that right." Shane replied sarcastically.

There was a sense of relief on the part of Rhodes and DiBiase with that answer. They knew that they still shot at least trying to convince Shane about their idea. "That's all we need and are asking from ya." Cody replied with a sly smile equal to that of the man sitting next to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Shane rubbed his forehead in frustration and annoyance. He was sincerely losing his patience with the two younger men. "Then fucking spit it out already before I change my mind and decide to throw both of your asses out of my office." he demanded.

"Well, like I said, our idea involves you and possibly Steph." Ted answered.

"What about me? Exactly how would I fit into this storyline?" Shane queried with confusion in his eyes.

"Well, it would involve you turning on your family and Batista to join Legacy." Cody answered before Ted could say anything.

Shane laughed sarcastically as he maintained eye contact with DiBiase and Rhodes. "Please tell me that's not your brilliant plan." he replied.

"Yeah. Why? Something funny to you, Shane?" Cody shot back, somewhat offended at Shane's sarcasm.

Shane continued laughing sarcastically. He found the idea that Randy, Ted, and Cody had supposedly come up with to be hilarious. He wasn't sure why, either. He just knew that he found nothing but humor in the idea. "Have you two and Orton forgotten that I have already been there, done that?" he replied.

"No, we haven't forgotten that, Shane." This time it was Ted to respond. Neither he, nor Cody, could understand why the older man was reacting the way he was to their idea. They, along with Randy, had put a lot of thought, time, and effort into the planning of their idea, let alone trying to find a way to put it into action.

"Good." Shane replied. Sarcasm oozed from his voice. He couldn't believe that the two younger men were even considering asking him what they were asking him. "Then what the hell made you two and Orton think I would even consider doing something like that again? Specially after everything you three have done to me and my family."

"Because we know your little secret." Ted replied with arrogance. He smiled with arrogance equal to that of his voice. "I'm sure mommy and daddy would be very interested to know it." he continued, the arrogant smile pulling at his lips growing wider by the moment.

Shane's facial expression quickly turned to almost a stone cold snarl. He could feel the rage and anger start to boil inside the pit of his stomach like hot, volcanic lava. "I sincerely hope that response wasn't a lame ass, half-hearted attempt to blackmail or threaten me, TJ." he replied.

"And if it was?" Cody interjected.

Shane rose from his chair with menacing intentions in his eyes. It took everything within him not to walk around his desk and put a fist in both of the younger men's mouths, or even worse, if allowed. He was able to keep his composure, though, and stayed behind the desk. "You two, and Orton for that matter, had better damn well hope that for your own sake it wasn't. " He eyed the two younger men with intense fury burning in his eyes. "You three have no idea how much of a living nightmare I am capable of creating for Legacy. Or for that matter, the level of hell I can bring upon the three of you. Now, I have heard your "idea", so I suggest the two of you get up and get the hell out of my office while you can still leave on your own free will."


	4. Chapter 4

Both Ted and Cody had expected that answer and reaction from Shane. However, they both fully understood that they had a mission. A mission which neither intended to fail to complete. They had no intention of starting drama with the older man. At least not outside of a storyline for television. If that was what it was going to take to complete their mission, that was what they were willing to do, though. They were not going to leave Shane's office without completing their mission.

"Well…" Shane growled.

"Well what?" Ted replied.

Shane sensed a hint of sarcasm in Ted's voice. He leaned over his desk, glaring at both DiBiase and Rhodes with pure, unadulterated, raging hatred. Hatred he'd never even thought he was capable of feeling. For that matter, he never even thought he was capable of hatred to begin with. Rhodes, Orton, and DiBiase had somehow found a way to do so. They had found a way of making him wrestle with emotions he had never dealt with before. "I think the two of you should heed my advice and leave my office." he said as he clinched his fists and jaw.

Cody took that response as an opportunity to take the lead. To put his two cents worth into the conversation. He looked at Ted, then back at the older man as he moved closer to Shane's desk. He wanted to be up close and personal with Shane. He wanted the older man to know who was in charge and had the power. "And if we don't?" he replied.

Shane stood from his chair and walked around to the front of his desk to stand nose to nose - face to face- with the youngest Legacy member. He knew exactly what Cody was trying to do. He also knew it wasn't going to work. He was not going to be intimidated by Orton, or for that matter, the younger man standing just inches away from him. "Cody, you really don't want to go down this road with me. Like I said before… you, Orton, and DiBiase have no idea what me, or the rest of my family for that matter, are capable of. Nor do you really want to."

"Was that a threat or a promise, Shane-O?" Ted responded before Cody could say anything.

Shane noticed that DiBiase had moved closer to him and maneuvered himself next to Cody. Both DiBiase and Rhodes knew they had a mission. They knew the objective of that mission, and they weren't going to fail. Shane knew them well enough to see that in both men's eyes. "You know the answer to that, TJ." He eyed the younger man. "Now, are you and Cody going to leave on your own or am I going to have the pleasure of escorting the two of you out of my office?"

"Oh, we're leavin, Shane-O." Ted replied with a grin that anyone could easily tell was filled with evil intentions. "I would highly advise you to think about our idea, though."

"And why is that?"

"Because I would hate for your "little secret" to become public knowledge." Ted replied as he and Cody walked toward the door of Shane's office.

Shane glared with a fire in his eyes that was meant to bore a hole through the two younger men. "You leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with this thing going on between Legacy and my family." It was no use, though. What he said fell on deaf ears. Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes were going to do whatever it took to change Shane's mind. Whatever it took. Shane knew that fact all-too-well.

"That all depends on you, Shane." Ted replied.

"I'm warning you. You two or Orton go near her and I will personally make sure you pay for it. And I do mean pay."

Ted and Cody laughed menacingly as they opened the door and walked out of Shane's office, leaving the older man clinching his fists and jaw.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know this chapter is short, but as I said before, I have more coming soon. Also, this chapter might be somewhat confusing, but bare with me. Youll see where I'm going with the story. Some guest appearances are to come!

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Shane waited until he heard the door firmly close behind DiBiase and Rhodes. With what they had said running wildly in the back of his mind, he began to furiously search for his Blackberry. He needed reassurance and peace of mind at that moment. He knew there was only one way to achieve that. "Damn it." he loudly cursed. Thoughts of the two younger men that had just exited his office were still fresh in his mind. He knew better than to kid himself into thinking that Orton and his cronies would heed his warning. That was the reason behind the furious search of his desk.

He rummaged around all the drawers of his desk in search of his phone. He was embarrassed at the fact he had managed to misplace it as he was going through the mound of paperwork on his desk. While rummaging through his desk, he heard yet another knock on his office door. "Fuck off." he growled.

The knocking persisted as Shane finally found his phone and his keys. He was concentrated on one thing and one thing only at that moment. He'd had enough distractions for the night. "Fuck off." he repeated as he went through the list of names and phone numbers stored in his contact list.

He spent a few more moments thumbing through his contact list until he found the number he was searching for and dialed it. He waited for what seemed like an eternity for an answer, but the person on the other end of the line didn't oblige him. When there was no answer on the other end of the line, Shane quickly grew even more worried. Even a bit paranoid. He grabbed his keys as he ended the call and walked to his office door, leaving behind all thoughts of the mound of paperwork on his desk. Unbeknownst to him, however, the person he had assumed he had run off from knocking on his office door was still waiting for him as he flung the door open.

"Hey man." a shorter, younger man drawled with a southern accent.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Shane replied with a somewhat guilty look when he realized just who the younger man was. "Was that you knocking on my door a little bit ago?"

"Yeah, it was. I just wanted to stop by and chat with ya, but it's obviously not a good time." the man answered.

Shane smiled at the man standing in front of him, again feeling somewhat guilty. "I'm sorry man. I have some stuff to take care of right now. Maybe we can meet up later and chat."

"Everything okay?" the man replied with concern.

"Umm… I'm not entirely sure. I was just on my way to get an answer to that very question."

"Anything I can do to help?" the man replied.

Shane smiled at the younger man. "Not really. I'm probably just being paranoid."

The younger man laughed at Shane's response. It was obvious to him that Shane was worried about something, but he didn't think it would be appropriate to pry any further than he had. "Aren't we all at times?" he responded.

Shane couldn't help but chuckling himself at that moment. At that moment he was somewhat relieved for the distraction, despite the events of the night leading up to that point. Even if it was only for the moment. "Yeah, I guess we are." He extended his hand, which the man returned for a firm, somewhat aggressive and testosterone-driven handshake. "Sorry about being so short with you, AJ. Like I said, maybe later you and I can catch up to talk."

"Alright man. You've got my cell number, so just give me a call when you got time to chat." AJ Styles replied with a smile.

"Well I've got to take off, so I'll chat with ya later." Shane said over his shoulder, hurriedly walking toward the elevator.

AJ happened to notice the older man's suddenly quickened and brisk walk to the elevator and decided to try catch up with Shane, but it was no use. Shane was too quick. With that, AJ decided that Shane had other pressing business to attend to and decided to take the stairs back down to the lobby of the building and hail a cab to make his way back to the hotel he was staying at.

Meanwhile, Shane stood by the elevator with an enormous and overwhelming amount of anxiety coursing through his veins. He furiously pressed the button with the arrow pointing down. He couldn't control the anxiety. However, that changed when he finally heard the dinging noise of the door a few moments later. He felt a hint of relief when he saw the doors open. As he went to step on to the elevator, he inadvertently bumped into someone without noticing or meaning to.

"Hey, Shane. Where's the fire?" came a familiar voice.

"Sorry man. Didn't mean to run into you like that." Shane replied.

The man smiled at Shane. "It's alright. No damage done."

Shane looked at the man with panic suddenly filling his chocolate-brown eyes. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be elsewhere."

"Shane, are you alright?" the man answered with a hint of confusion and concern.

Shane could feel panic rushing through him as his heart began to slam into his chest. "No, I'm not, Evan. You're not supposed to be here."

Evan Bourne put a hand on Shane's broad shoulder. He knew why the older man was acting the way he was acting. "Shane, calm down. She is fine."

"How do you know for sure? There's no way of knowing since you're here and not with her." Shane spat back.

Evan chuckled slightly at Shane's response. He knew that probably wasn't the best response at that moment, but he couldn't help it. As much as he tried, he just couldn't. "Because she's the one that sent me up here." he replied.


	6. Chapter 6

i apologize for taking so long to update this and that this chapter is so short, but here it is. and there's more yet to come! more new characters introduced in this chapter! enjoy!

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Shane quickly stepped onto the elevator, somewhat annoyed with the younger man's calmness and casual manner. "Why did she send you up here instead of coming up herself?" he asked as the elevator doors closed.

"She said she wanted to make a quick phone call so she stayed down in the lobby and asked me to come up to let you know we're waitin' for you." Evan replied.

"You mean to tell me that she's all alone downstairs in the lobby?"Shane asked with panic-stricken eyes.

Again, Evan couldn't help but to chuckle at Shane's response. He couldn't quite understand why the older man was acting the way he was like he had originally thought, but he had an idea. He just wasn't sure how to go about asking Shane about it. "Shane, I can understand the whole protective vibe, but don't you think you're going just a little overboard?"

Shane glared at Evan. Conversation was the last thing on his mind. His focus was on one thing and one thing only. He knew that wouldn't change until he got the peace of mind he was desperately seeking. "Let's go. Marissa should be dropping Declan and Kenyon off at my place soon." he replied.

"Nice change of subject, Shane."

Shane rolled his eyes at Evan. All he wanted was the night to be over. He'd had enough for one night. "I wasn't trying to change the subject, Evan. I was just simply stating a fact. Not to mention, I just want to get the hell out of here."

"If you say so." Evan replied playfully.

The elevator doors closed quickly as it made its decent to the lobby of the building. Evan wanted to know why Shane seemed so on edge, but again, he didn't want to pry. He didn't think it was appropriate, especially with Shane so obviously annoyed and frustrated with him. It all certainly made for an extremely awkward situation to say the least. It made for an extremely confusing situation, too. So confusing, Evan didn't know what to think. He was so sure only moments before, but now he wasn't sure of anything. Shane was sending extremely mixed signals as far as Evan was concerned. Evan knew Shane well enough to know that usually meant something was going on. Something that Shane was keeping to himself. It all lead back to the fiercely protective side of him that Evan knew all-too-well about.

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please let me know what ya'll think of this! like i said, i have more yet to come, so stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

I know this chapter is short, but as always... there's more to come! Enjoy!

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The two men rode the elevator all the way to the lobby in silence. Evan wanted to say something – anything- to break the silence, but he knew deep down, it was probably no use. He could tell Shane was obviously worried, but he wasn't quite sure why. He had an idea as to why, but again, he wasn't entirely sure. "Shane…" He paused for a moment to be sure if he should go ahead and continue the conversation. "Can I ask you something and you answer me honestly?"

Shane met Evan's eyes with confusion and curiosity in his own eyes. "You know I wouldn't lie to you, Evan. I have no reason to lie to you, nor do I have anything to hide." he replied.

"Why were you so worried about me comin' up to your office by myself? It wouldn't have anything to do with DiBiase and Rhodes would it?"

"Where the hell did that come from?"

"Because you freaked out when you realized I came up to your office by myself. Not to mention, I saw DiBiase and Rhodes getting off the elevator as we were walking in."

"And?"

As Evan was about to answer Shane, the elevator dinged again as they opened for them to step off. Evan and Shane exited the elevator, only for Evan to run right into the older man. He hadn't noticed Shane had stopped mid-stride. "Sorry, man." he said apologetically.

There was no response from Shane. He was in his own little world, zoned in on the sight before him. He began clinching his jaws and fists with fervent anger and rage in his eyes. "SON OF A BITCH!" he loudly cursed as he took off running.

Everything happened so fast, Evan had absolutely no time to think on his feet. The only thing he could think of was catching up with Shane. All he could do was take off running himself after the older man in the hopes of preventing whatever Shane was contemplating. Or at least attempt to. It was no use, though. Shane had already gotten too much of a head start.

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DUN DUN DUN! What's goin to happen next? Stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 8

Here is ch. 8! Three new characters are introduced in this chapter. Who are they? Read and find out!

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Evan caught up with Shane just in time to see him spin Ted DiBiase around and the punch that connected squarely with DiBiase's face. He was shocked to see Shane punch Ted. He had never seen that side of Shane before, and it worried him that he didn't know the depths of which Shane was willing to go or if he could stop the brawl ensuing right in from of him. "Shane, c'mon man. Don't do this!" he said reaching for Shane's broad shoulder.

"YOU SON OF BITCH! I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Shane yelled angrily and he continued to scuffle with DiBiase, completely ignoring Evan.

"Shane! Stop it!" a female voice pleaded.

By now the scuffle not only included Shane and Ted, but Evan and Cody as well. All four men completely disregarded everything, including the innocent female bystander watching the scuffle in horror.

"You guys… stop it! What the hell is the matter with you?!" she yelled. Moments later, and much to her relief, she saw the scuffle being broken up by two friendly, familiar faces that she knew very well and completely trusted to make sure the scuffle would end right then and there. She knew they would make sure nothing more would happen after the scuffle was broken up.

"Shane…c'mon man. Listen to what she's sayin' to you." the taller, more musculant of the two familiar faces said as he put Shane in a full-nelson hold.

The other of the two familiar faces followed suit and did the same to Evan. They then looked at Cody and Ted. "You two had better get out of here."

Both Shane and Evan struggled against the two familiar faces and the hold they had on them. They both were none-too-happy when they were released after Ted and Cody had been warned and left the building.

"What the hell was that all about, Shane?" the female bystander asked grabbing a hold of Shane's arm to make him face her.

"I could ask you the same thing, Brooklyn." Shane snapped.

Brooklyn Bourne looked at the man standing in front of her with confusion in her chestnut-brown eyes. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean, Shane?"

"I think it's obvious what the hell I mean, Brooke."

"Obviously not, so why don't you explain to me why you're actin' like a damn lunatic."

"I will when you explain to me why the hell you were looking awfully damn cozy with those two motherfuckers."

"You know what, Shane…" Brooklyn eyed Shane with blatant rage fuming in her eyes. "Cody and Ted just so happen to be nice guys. It's just too bad you won't actually take the time to get to know them, or Orton for that matter, outside of work."

Shane scoffed with sarcasm and disdain. "Oh really? You obviously seem to forget a small detail about DiBiase and Rhodes and why I have chosen not to get to know them outside of work." he snapped.

Brooklyn sighed in frustration. "Shane, you know just as well as I do that what happened to you, Steph, and your dad was all for storyline. It was all a storyline to make it so Steph and your dad could be taken off camera. That way Steph wouldn't be shown on camera pregnant and your dad could just concentrate on working backstage. Nothing more."

"That's what you, and everybody else, **would **think." Shane shot back.

That response confused not only Brooklyn, but all that were now involved in the situation and subsequent conversation. "What does that mean, Shane?"

"Never mind. Just forget that I said anything."

"No. Answer Brooke's question." the smaller familiar face replied.

"I don't need to be told what to do, Mike."

"I'm not tryin' to tell ya what to do, Shane-O."

"Oh really? That's sure as hell what it sounds like."

"Well, it's not, Shane-O."

"Then tell me what the hell you're tryin' to do or say because I would sure as hell like to know."

"We're just worried about you."

"Well… thanks, but I'm fine."

"Obviously not."

"Mike, I really don't need this shit." Shane spat back at the man known as the "Heartbreak Kid".

"Mike's right. You're obviously upset or pissed off about somethin'." the other familiar face piped in.

Shane glared at the familiar face. "Dave, stay out of this." he replied.

Dave Batista returned Shane's glare. He wasn't intimidated by Shane in the least. "No." He moved closer to Shane so he was completely standing face-to-face with him. "You owe us all an explanation as to what the hell that was all about."

"I don't owe any of you shit." Shane growled.

"Oh really?" Brooklyn pushed Dave out of the way so that she was once again standing face-to-face with Shane. "Well, if you feel that way…" Her eyes were filled with hurt. "Then you should go home and wait for your ex-wife to drop your sons off to you…" She paused for a moment to sustain her composure. "ALONE."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Brooke?"

"It means you're going home without me."

"What? Why?"

"Do you really even have to ask me that, Shane?"

"Obviously I do."

"Well then…" Brooklyn grabbed her luggage and Evan's arm. "Let me show you."

"Brooke…"

"Don't." Brooklyn locked eyes with Shane. She had a mixture of hurt and anger running through her eyes. "I'm stayin' with my brother till you figure out whatever the hell this jealousy crap and newfound attitude of yours is. When you finally figure that out, give me a call. Otherwise… leave me, and Evan for that matter, alone." she replied as she and Evan walked to the doors of the building and quickly made their exit.

* * *

UH OH!!!! What happens next? Keep tunin' in!


	9. Chapter 9

Shane stood, frozen in his tracks. He was too shocked to move, let alone say anything to the two men standing with him. He couldn't believe Brooklyn had just walked away from him. After a few moment of replaying the scene in his head at least half a dozen times, he came to the realization that he didn't blame her in the least for walking away from him. Or for saying what she had said, either. She had every right to react the way she had, he thought to himself. Once that realization had fully sunken in, he started to walk toward the door that he had just watched Brooklyn and Evan walk through.

"Shane-O, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Dave said, stopping Shane mid-stride.

Shane turned around almost instantly to lock eyes with the big man. He was beginning to feel the anger he had let build up as the night had progressed, and he didn't like that feeling. He knew being angry or frustrated would only bring on more unwanted and unnecessary drama to the evening. He couldn't help it, though. The more he tried to fight the anger and frustration, the worse he felt it. He knew the reason behind that anger and frustration. And to make matters worse, Dave, Mike, Evan, and Brooklyn had inadvertently had to bare the brunt of that anger and frustration. Now, he had to deal with the fact that he'd unintentionally hurt Brooklyn's feelings. The look of hurt and anger in the eyes he loved getting lost in was enough to break his heart. "Why not, Dave? I don't want to lose her." he replied.

"While that might be the case, Shane-O, you know just as well as Evan, Mike, and I do that when Brooke gets upset, she just wants to left alone." Dave responded.

"And you also know that when she gets upset, she gets even more stubborn than she normally is." Mike added.

Shane sighed. "True." He knew both Dave and Mike had very valid points. He knew that he should heed their advice and just give Brooklyn space. At least that's what his head told him. However, his heart said different. His heart was telling him to go after her. "Damn it. How the hell am I supposed to fix this?" he asked looking between both men.

"Well… unfortunately… Shane-O, we can't answer that question for ya." Mike replied.

"Mike's right. You have to answer that question for yourself." Dave added with empathy.

"Well…then I'm up a shit crick without a paddle."

"Not necessarily, Shane-O." a voice replied from behind Shane.

Shane turned around in the direction that the voice came from, and was somewhat shocked when he saw who it was. "I thought you left with your sister."

"Well… I was going to, but then I decided that I needed to hear an explanation for what just happened, even if she doesn't right now. Especially since she is my older sister, and I did help you with DiBiase and Rhodes." Evan replied.

"I don't understand, Evan. If you're here, then where the hell is Brooke?"

Evan sighed, a bit frustrated himself. "She's in a cab, on her way back to my hotel room. Stop avoiding the subject. I want to know what the hell that fight with DiBiase and Rhodes was all about, and why the hell you acted like you did toward Brooke. She left here cryin' ya know."

Hearing that only served to break Shane's heart even more. It made him even angrier. And what's more, he knew he had nobody else to blame but himself for the argument and the way he acted toward Brooklyn. "That's the very least that I owe you, Evan. I appreciate what you just did for me." He looked at Mike and Dave as well. "Actually… that's the very least that I owe all of you. You all just tried to help me, and I acted like an ass. I owe all of you an apology, too."

"No time like the present, Shane-O." Mike replied.

Shane rubbed his forehead, the anger inside him starting to fade little by little. He was trying to banish the memory of his "meeting" with DiBiase and Rhodes earlier in the evening in his office. He knew it was no use, though. "I don't even know where to start."

"Why don't you start by answering my question from the elevator that you never answered?" Evan replied.

"What question, Evan?"

"The one I asked you about me comin' up to your office without Brooke and you freakin' out because of it."

"Oh." Shane wasn't exactly sure how to answer that question. Or if he was even ready to be having the conversation he, Evan, Dave, and Mike were obviously having. "Why don't we head to my place? Marissa's going to be droppin' Declan and Kenyon off soon. We can talk there."

"Shane…" Dave said, letting his voice trail off.

"What?" Shane replied.

"Stop avoiding the question." Mike responded before either Evan or Dave had the chance.

"I'm not. I would just like to go home."

"Fine, but when we get to your place, you owe us a conversation."

Shane nodded in complete agreement with the "Heartbreak Kid". He knew they all deserved an explanation for what had transpired. He felt a hint of relief knowing that he could turn to them for anything, even when he didn't realize he needed it. "Shall we head out?" he asked, looking at the three men standing before him.

"Yeah." Evan replied, speaking for the others.

"Alright then. Let's go." Shane responded, leading the way to the door and into the chilly, crisp New York night air.


	10. Chapter 10

After about an hour had gone by, all four men sat in the living room of Shane's spacious loft-style apartment. There was a definite change in the atmosphere that surrounded them. It was a complete change from the tension that loomed around them only a short time before. And Shane hadn't forgotten the promise he had made to Mike, Dave, and Evan. He just wanted a small break from the events and tension of the evening, even if only for a short-lived period of time.

"So when is Marissa supposed to be stoppin' by with the boys, Shane-O?" Mike asked.

Shane shrugged his broad shoulders. He was wondering the answer to that very question himself. He hoped it was sometime soon. Seeing his sons was an escape for him in a way. His sons gave him the distraction needed from the events of the evening. "I'm not entirely sure, Mike. I hope it's soon, though, because I have been looking forward to seeing them all day. I haven't seen them in a week." he replied.

"Really? That's kind of unusual isn't it?" Dave asked with a hint of shock in his voice.

"Yeah, it is, but Marissa and I both have been really busy lately. I talk to them on the phone every night before they go to bed, but with both of us being so busy lately, we just can't seem to coordinate our schedules. And she did say she had to run some errands before she brought them over."

Evan looked at Shane with determination in his eyes. He was not going to let the older man off that easy. He was not going to let him out of the promise that he had made only a short time before at Titan Towers. "Well, since it might end up being a while before she gets here, why don't we have that conversation you owe Mike, Dave, and I. That way we're not talking about what happened around Declan and Kenyon." he said.

Shane sighed. Not in frustration this time, which came as a relief to him. The sigh was meant more as a way to steel himself for the impending conversation. "Like I said before, I don't even know where to begin." he replied.

"Well… you could start with explanin' where Brooke fits into this feud with you, Randy, Ted, and Cody." Mike quickly responded.

"And you could explain why the hell you have turned into "Mr. Overprotective, Jealous Boyfriend" all of a sudden. You really pissed Brooke off and hurt her feelings to no extreme just so you know." Evan added.

Shane silently cursed himself for that. He didn't need Evan, or anyone else for that matter, to tell him what Brooke was feeling. It had been blatantly obvious to him. He had seen the hurt and fury in her eyes. "I know, Evan. I know. The conversation may have taken that direction, but I swear that was **not **the way I meant it." he replied.

"Then tell us what the hell is going on, Shane-O. We're here to help you." Dave said.


	11. Chapter 11

Shane looked at the three men with anger and rage starting to burn in his eyes. He couldn't help it. He couldn't control his emotions as he replayed the scenes of earlier in the evening in his mind. "Where should I start?" he replied.

"Stop beatin' around the damn bush, Shane." Evan responded with annoyance.

"I'm not beatin' around the damn bush, Evan. I was just simply askin' a question."

"Sure as hell sounds like it."

"Well, I'm not." Shane replied.

"Then tell us what the hell is going on, Shane. We all know that what the three of us saw back at Titan Towers wasn't you." Dave interjected.

"What do you mean, Dave?"

"We all know you're not the overprotective, overbearing, jealous asshole that you came off as at Titan Towers."

"This would never have happened if Ted and Cody would've just listened to me."

"Listened to you?" Mike asked.

Shane sighed. There was obviously no turning back now. It was now or never, he thought to himself. "They decided to come to my office earlier to pitch an idea."

"Why would they do that? They know they have to go to Steph or your dad for that." Mike replied.

"That's what I told them, but they were adamant about sharing their "idea" with me first."

"What was their "idea"?"

"Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes came up with this idea for me to turn on Dave and my family to join Legacy. Hell, they even want to try and somehow involve Steph in their idea."

"Are you serious? Why would they do that? All three of them know that she's pregnant." Mike replied.

"I reminded them of all of that. I reminded them that Steph is pregnant and that I have already done that in a storyline before. Then I threw them out of my office."

"Where does my sister fit into this?" Evan asked.

Shane took a deep breath to steel himself in order to answer that question. To prepare for Mike, Dave, and Evan's reaction. "When I told them that I wouldn't do it, Ted and Cody threatened to involve Brooke." he replied.

"What?!" Evan growled with anger.

"What do you mean they threatened to involve Brooke?" Dave asked, trying to be calm.

Shane knew it was taking all of what Mike and Dave had not to react the same way Evan had to his response. Shane knew all-too-well how close Mike, Dave, and Brooklyn had become since she started working for World Wrestling Entertainment. It made Shane comfortable knowing that she had other people working within the WWE that she could talk to and that cared about her beside himself and Evan. "They said that they knew about her and they were going to make our relationship public knowledge." he replied.

"But your relationship is already public knowledge, Shane." Mike quickly responded.

"Yes and no. My family knows about us, and that includes Marissa, Declan, and Kenyon. Obviously, Evan knows about us. I'm assuming the rest of her family knows about us. We've only told a certain few at work, though."

"And let me guess…Ted and Cody aren't a part of the certain few that you and Brooke have told." Mike replied.

"Not unless Brooke told them without my knowledge." Shane said with a sigh.

"Then that begs a very big question." Dave responded.

"What do you mean, Dave?" Shane asked.

"Well… think about it. Obviously, you and Brooke wouldn't tell DiBiase and Rhodes about your relationship, right?"

"Right."

"What if Brooke did tell them without you knowing? I mean… they could've gotten her to trust them, and by doing that… she could've inadvertently told them. Although, I really don't foresee that being the case, so… that begs the question…"

"If Brooke didn't tell them without you knowing, then how the hell did they find out about you and my sister?" Evan added, finishing Dave's sentence.

"That's what I have wondering myself. I would sure as hell like to know." Shane replied.

"I would too, Shane. I would too." Evan shot back with a hint of anger.

The more Shane thought about it, the more he realized he already knew the answers to the questions at hand. "I honestly don't think Brooklyn would've told them about us." He looked at all three men and couldn't help realizing the somewhat confused looks on their faces. "When we started dating, we made a promise to each other that we would keep our relationship separate from work."

"That doesn't mean she didn't tell Ted and Cody." Mike replied.

"Mike, you know as well as any of us here, when Brooke makes a promise…she keeps it." Shane snapped.

"You're right, Shane. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Then who would've told them? That's the only way they would've found out." Evan added.

"And why the hell would they threaten to tell my mom and dad? Do they honestly think that I would keep Brooke and I's relationship a secret from them?" Shane said.

"It is Ted and Cody we're talking about, Shane-O." Mike responded with a laugh.

"True." Shane himself laughed for the first time since his encounter with DiBiase and Rhodes earlier in the evening. "Those two may have thought they could intimidate me, but they obviously forgot what my last name is."

As the conversation continued, the four men heard a knock on the door. Shane stood from the chair he had been occupying and walked over to open it. When he had the door open just enough, two small figures came bounding toward him as they both leapt into his arms. "Daddy!" both small figures squealed with delight.

"Boys!" Shane returned the child-like delight with equal excitement as he bent down to set Declan and Kenyon back down. He loved his two sons with every fiber of his being. He loved spending time with them every chance he got.

"Hey, Shane-O." a familiar voice said from behind him, closing the door.

"Hey, Rissa." Shane replied with a smile. Marissa may have been his ex-wife, but they were still close friends and he had a great deal of respect for her as a person, and as the mother of his children. "Late night at work?" he asked.

"Yeah, sort of. Been busy with some new projects." she replied.


	12. Chapter 12

Shane, Marissa, Declan, and Kenyon walked into the living room where Dave, Mike, and Evan were all waiting for them patiently.

"Hey, Rissa." Mike greeted.

"Hey, Mike. How ya been?" she replied.

"Good. Busy with work and the family." Mike responded with a proud smile.

"I'm sure the kids keep both you and Rebecca busy." Marissa replied with a laugh.

"I see how it is, Rissa. You can hello to Mike, but you can't say anything me or Evan." Dave interrupted with mock hurt in his voice.

Marissa laughed at the big man's comment. "I'm sorry, Dave. I didn't mean to leave you out."

"I'm hurt that you would forget about me." Dave replied.

"I'm sorry, big man." Marissa responded as she walked over and gave him a hug.

"All is forgiven, but you're still leavin' someone out." Dave teased, releasing his grip on her.

Marissa turned her attention to Evan. "I'm sorry, Evan. I didn't mean to leave you out either." she said with a smile.

Evan returned Marissa's smile with one of his own. "It's okay, Rissa. I'm kind of used to it thanks to my older sister."

"If she heard you say that, she would hurt you." Marissa playfully nudged the high flyer in the abdomen. "Speaking of your older sister…where is Brooke?"

The room got eerily quiet with that question. No one was willing or knew how to answer that question. They didn't want Marissa to overreact. She and Shane might have been divorced, but they all knew she still cared very deeply for him as a friend.

"Whoa…don't all answer me at once." Marissa said jokingly after a few moments of awkward silence.

Shane, Dave, Mike, and Evan still had no idea how to respond to Marissa. They all knew she would eventually figure out what was going on. They weren't sure if it would be better to tell her or to let her figure it out on her own, though.

"Shane…what happened to your eye?" Marissa asked with concern when she didn't get an answer from the four men.

"What do you mean?" Shane replied with confusion.

"It looks like you walked right into someone's fist."

"It does?"

Marissa laughed at Shane's response. She thought he was trying to be funny. "You mean to tell me that you haven't seen the nice sized black and blue shiner you have?"


	13. Chapter 13

Shane's eyes narrowed in a moment of frustration. Not necessarily with Marissa, either. It was all just one more reminder of the events of the evening, and more importantly, the look of utter disbelief and hurt in Brooklyn's eyes when she walked away from him to leave Titan Towers. He absolutely hated himself for making her that angry and worst then that, for obviously making her cry. "I got into a little scuffle at work earlier. Not a big deal, Rissa." he replied calmly.

Marissa looked at Shane in utter disbelief. She knew he had what she, and others, often referred to as the "McMahon temper". She also knew first hand that it took a lot to bring that temper to the surface, and that it was a side of the man standing in front of her that he wasn't very proud of. She knew it something he worked hard to keep under control. "No big deal, huh?" she shot back sharply.

"That's right. It's not a big deal. It's over, it's done. Let's leave it at that, please, Rissa."

"Well, judging by that shiner, I would have to highly disagree with you, Shane-O." Her eyes bored through him with piercing fury. "I would have to say that it sure as hell constitutes as a big deal. Now, I would appreciate it if you would explain what happened, and it had better be a damn good explanation."

"Rissa, let's not talk about this in front of Declan and Kenyon." he replied with a hint of anger.

"Don't use them as an excuse to get outta the conversation, Shane."

"Damn it, Marissa. Would you stop?" His voice was icy and cold. His eyes grew dark as he maintained eye contact with her. "It's over and done with so just stop."

"Shane… talk to me. We may not be married anymore, but you know that you can always count on me to be there for you. You also know you can always tell me anything, no matter what it is."

"I know, Rissa. I just don't want to talk about it right now."

"Well, then at least me where the hell Brooke is."

"To be honest with you, Rissa… I really have absolutely no idea where she is. Evan said she told him that she was goin to stay with him, but I don't know if that's what will happen or not."

"Shane…"

"What?" he replied.

Marissa paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to make Shane angry, nor did she want to argue with him. She just wanted to try and help him as best as she could, no matter what she had to do. If that meant pressing Shane for information, that was what she was going to do. "Please tell me what is goin' on. Tell me how you got the black eye, and who gave it to you. I'm not going to say anything. You know damn well I won't."

"Marissa… I would really rather not talk about it."

Marissa sighed. It was then that she realized the struggle she was in for. She wasn't going to give up, though. She wanted to help Shane. "Shane… don't be stubborn."

"I'm not. I just don't want to talk about it." Shane paused for a moment as he still managed to maintain eye contact with his ex-wife. "You know what… why don't you ask Brooke about what happened if you're so damn worried and concerned about it."


	14. Chapter 14

Marissa glared at Shane. She couldn't understand his sudden change in his demeanor or the obvious bitter tone in his voice. "You don't need to bite my head off, Shane. I'm just worried about you." she replied sharply.

"Well, thanks, but I can take care of myself, Marissa."

"I know that. Can't you just this once not be so damn stubborn and pig-headed? At least long enough to see you don't have to do things on your own all the time." She looked at Shane with nothing but sincerity in her eyes. "That is what having friends and family is for."

Shane broke eye contact with her long enough to look at Mike, Dave, and Evan; then to his sons; then back at her. He couldn't help noticing the sincerity in Marissa's eyes or that the other three men all had a look of agreement in their eyes. They had all silently, but overwhelmingly, agreed with the words that had just echoed through the room. "I'm not trying to be stubborn or pig-headed." He paused for a moment trying to find the right words to continue. "I just don't want anyone involved in my mess then there already is."

"But that's what we're all here for, Shane-O." Dave replied.

"We're all here to support you and to help you through this." Mike added.

"That's just it. I don't want that. I don't want anyone else involved and end up getting hurt."

"Whether you want it or not, Shane, that's already happened. Mike, Dave, and I are already involved. Matter of fact… if you really think about it… all of us in this room are involved." Evan quickly shot back.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Evan?" Shane asked inquisitively.

Evan looked at all of the occupants of the living room. He locked eyes with Shane as he sighed then cleared his throat. "Well, I meant what I just said, Shane." The answer was short and to the point. That was exactly the way he had meant it to be, too.

"Real helpful, Ev. Real helpful. You could be a helluva lot less cryptic, you know."


	15. Chapter 15

Evan looked at Shane without missing a beat. His eyes and expression, the complete and total epitome of pure calmness. He didn't seem rattled whatsoever by the older man's comment. "That wasn't meant to be cryptic, Shane." he replied.

"Then would you mind telling me what the hell you meant?" Shane shot back with annoyance in his voice.

"Think about it, Shane."

"Think about what?"

Evan sighed, preparing to launch into his explanation. He could tell that the entire room was waiting for it as he could feel their eyes on him. "Well, if you think about it, all of us in this room are involved in some way. Obviously, Shane, " He maintained eye contact with the older man. "You are involved due to the fact that you got angry with DiBiase and Rhodes, which consequently, is what caused the scuffle back at Titan Towers." He then turned his attention to the other two older men. "Mike, Dave… you two are involved due to the fact that you two broke up the scuffle." He sighed again, this time rubbing his forehead in thought. "I'm involved due to the fact that Brooke is my older sister, and I also helped break up the scuffle."

"While that may all be true, and it sounds logical, Evan…" Marissa paused for a moment to process what the high flyer had just said. However, there was one thing that eluded her, though. "How do Ted and Cody fit into the scuffle that happened at Titan Towers?"

"As I just said, Marissa…" Evan broke eye contact with Shane long enough to turn his attention to her. "Shane got upset with them, which is what caused the scuffle and how Shane got the black eye."

"I understand that much, Evan." She broke her attention away from the high flyer, and set her sights on her ex-husband. "What I'm not understanding is why."

"Why what?" Evan responded before Shane could say anything.

"Why Shane got angry with Ted and Cody, of course." That was meant more as question than a casual response as far as Marissa was concerned. She knew there was more to the story, or explanation, that was being omitted. Her eyes never wavered from Shane's, despite Evan's question. She could see him clinching his jaw and that he was extremely annoyed. "Feel free to continue." She didn't care who it was that responded. She wanted the truth, and she was going to get it.

"Shane-O… the cat is already outta the bag. You might as well finish explainin' what happened to her." Mike said with an almost scolding tone to his voice.

Shane cringed, almost in agony, at the thought of reliving the events of the evening yet again. He honestly didn't know if he had the strength or will. "I can't. I'm sorry, but I just can't do it." he replied weakly.

"Yes, you can, Shane." Marissa encouraged.

"No, Marissa, I can't." He looked mentally and physically drained. Completely incapable of showing any type of emotion whatsoever. "Once was – and should've been – enough. The only reason I even considered re-hatching it in the first place was the fact that I at least owed Mike, Dave, and Evan that much."

Fury again burned in the depths of Marissa's dark orbs. Her eyes were almost as black as night. "What about me?" She then turned her attention to their sons, then back to Shane. "What about them? What are you going to tell them when they ask about Brooke? Or when they wanna know why Daddy has a black eye?"

"That was a cheap shot, Rissa."

Marissa shrugged her shoulders as she scoffed. "Again, Shane-O, I beg to differ with you."

"Oh, really, now?"

"Yes, really." Marissa stood her ground. She wasn't going to concede this argument. She was going to make Shane realize that there was no other solution or choice for him to make than to lean on her, Mike, Dave, and Evan. "It may have been a "cheap shot" to you, but I call it the plain, brutal, hardcore truth." She shifted her weight to lean against the wall where she was standing, crossing her arms at her chest. "You know damn well that's what's going to happen, Shane-O."

"Rissa, I don't need this shit right now." Shane glared at Marissa. "How dare you use my sons against me like that?! That was low."

"Our sons!" Marissa growled. "And yes, Shane, you do need this right now. You need a swift kick in the ass from the sound of things. I mean no offense when I say this…" She looked at Mike, Dave, and Evan. "But I'm probably the most qualified person here to do just that."


	16. Chapter 16

Evan stood from the chair he'd been occupying, moving in between Shane and Marissa. _This isn't the time for arguments amongst ourselves,_ he thought to himself. "Alright, you two." He looked between them. "Enough is enough. We don't need this right now. We need to be coming up with a way to deal with DiBiase and Rhodes…_together_." He looked at Shane, trying to be empathetic, but his eyes and the tone to his voice betrayed him horribly. "You need to find a way to get everything squared away with my sister. Even if that means graveling like there's no tomorrow."

"I know, Ev, but she is making that kind of difficult for me, though. She won't even so much as return a text message."

"Did you really expect her to, Shane-O?" Dave asked.

"No… I guess not." Shane sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I guess I was hoping that she would answer my text message I sent her a little bit ago."

"Maybe she's got her phone turned off." Mike commented.

"Nah. It's not like Brooke to do that, Mike. She always leaves her phone on." Evan quickly replied.

"I happen to know for a fact that she doesn't have her phone turned off." Marissa quickly informed them.

All three men looked at Marissa with total and utter confusion. None of them knew what Marissa was talking about, and the room went silent once again.

"What do you mean, Rissa?" Shane finally asked. The silence had become more than he could bear. He needed an explanation.

"I also sent her a text shortly after I got here with Declan and Kenyon. I was worried when you told me she wasn't here and realized that something had happened between you and her."

"You did?"

"Yes, Shane, I did. She is a friend of mine, too, ya know."

Shane, Mike, Evan, and Dave stared at Marissa, hoping she would continue her explanation. Curiosity had certainly gotten the best of them.

Marissa didn't let their anxiety go unnoticed by any means. She purposely delayed answering them. She wanted them to feel the same anxiety she'd had trying to figure out what had happened to Shane and trying to piece together their story.

"Marissa, please. If you know something, I need to know. I have to fix things with Brooke." Shane's voice was pleading and eager, yet polite and somehow steady. He knew he had to make things right with Brooklyn. _I'll be damned if I lose her over my own stupidity_, he thought to himself. "I'll be damned if I lose Brooke over Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes. I messed up tonight, and I know that. I just need to make her see that I truly am sorry for the way things went between her and I. I know if I can just get her to talk to me, I can do that."

Marissa knew that Shane meant every word he had said. She knew that when it came down to it, Shane cared greatly for Brooklyn and wanted to be with her. She knew that Shane was happy with Brooklyn, and as long as that was the case, as a friend to both of them, Marissa was willing to help them. "I don't really know much, Shane-O." She sighed, wishing there was more she could tell him. "I just know that when I sent her that text, she answered me pretty quickly, so obviously she doesn't have her phone turned off."

"What exactly was said between the two of you, Rissa?" Evan asked.

"Well, I asked her if she was okay and tried to get her to tell me what was going on. Then I asked where she was and if she was going to come over here."

"What did she say?" Shane asked with his anxiety growing as the thudding of his heart began to pick up in pace.

"She said she was okay, and that she wasn't sure about coming over." Marissa, eyeing Shane, hesitated for a moment. She internally debated on whether she should go further. It took her a few minutes to finally decide. "As for where she was… I don't really think it's my place to tell you."

Shane sighed, not knowing what to do. "What do I do now?" he asked, not necessarily to anyone in particular.

"If I were you, I would give her some space and let her cool off." Dave answered.

"I agree with Dave." Mike said.

"If **I **were you, I would try and call her or send her another text. When you do, I would tell her that you just want to talk to her about what happened earlier. That you want a chance to apologize for the way you acted and what you said." Evan replied.

"I agree, Ev." Marissa walked from where she'd been standing over to Shane, closing the distance between them. "I would ask her if she'd be willing to come over and give you a chance to explain **everything **to her, including the reason behind the scuffle with DiBiase and Rhodes."

Shane stood silent for a moment, lost in thought. "Do you honestly think she'll go for it?" he asked after thinking about all that had been said.

"What's the worst she could say or do?" Marissa replied.

"Say no."

"Then if that's the case, you go with what Mike and Dave said to do." Evan sat back down on the same couch he'd occupied earlier. "You give her some space and let her cool down, then you talk to her."

"I just wish that this shit with Legacy would end. I don't want anyone else getting involved or getting hurt." Shane replied.

"Deal with one piece of the problem at a time, Shane-O." Evan countered.

"One piece of the problem at a time." Shane repeated as he grabbed his Blackberry and went to the kitchen for more privacy.


	17. Chapter 17

Shane made his way into the kitchen as he debated on what would be the best way to get Brooklyn to talk to him. It was obvious that it wasn't going to be an easy task by any means. He was willing to do whatever it took, though. He wasn't going to give up. Regardless of how much graveling he had to do, he wasn't going to lose her. He couldn't lose her. The thought of his life without Brooklyn beside him, sent a cold, spine numbing hint of fear through his entire body – heart, mind, and soul.

_She obviously isn't going to answer a text message from me. I wonder if she'll answer her phone if she knows it's me callin', _he thought to himself. He thumbed through the phone numbers stored in the memory of his Blackberry to find Brooklyn's and dialed when he found it. He let it ring, hoping with his entire being that she would answer. He sighed when he heard, "_Hi, you've reached Brooke's phone. Can't come to the phone right now. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks, and have a great day. _" He debated for about a half-second, then decided to leave a message when he heard the cue to begin.

He quickly sighed as he prepared to leave his message. "Brooke, its Shane. I know you're upset with me, and I don't blame you whatsoever. I don't blame you for not wanting to see me or not wanting to talk to me. I guess I'm just asking for a chance to explain what happened tonight at Titan Towers, and for you to let me apologize to you for being such an ass. I'll understand completely if you don't, but I would really like it if you would. Umm…" He paused for a moment. "I hope we can find a way to move past this. If you want, you can come over so we can talk in person, and you can see the boys or you can give me a call or send me a text – whatever you decide." He sighed again, fumbling for words. "I guess I will talk to you when you're ready. Please know that I love you. Bye." With that being said, he pressed the _End _button to disconnect the call.

Oddly enough, Shane found himself feeling a hint of relief. Like a weight had been lifted off of shoulders. Even odder, was the level of comfort he felt in knowing that he'd been totally and completely honest with Brooklyn in the message he'd left for her. Not that he wasn't always honest with her, but he'd never been comfortable with that type of level of vulnerability being shown on his part.

He walked back out to the living room in a somewhat cheerier mood than what he'd left in. That mood was quickly dampened when he was met with the inquisitive, innocent honey-brown eyes of his oldest son. "What's wrong, Declan?" he asked.

"Daddy…" The young boy was a miniature replica of his father as he pondered for a moment and looked to everyone in the room, then back to his father. "Where's Bwooke?"

That stopped Shane in his tracks. He had no idea how to answer his son. Shane knew Declan wouldn't understand the situation. Or at least that's what his head was telling him at the moment. His heart was telling him that even though Declan was only a six-year-old little boy, he was a lot wiser than his age. "She's not here, buddy." It was all he could manage. He couldn't believe that Marissa had been right. He didn't want to believe that she'd been right. His stomach twisted into knots as he swallowed hard.

"Why not?" Declan replied innocently.

"Declan, why don't you go back to playin' in your room so Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Mike, Uncle Dave, and Evan can finish talkin'?" Mike said before anyone else could say anything.

"But… I wanna see Bwooke."

"She might come over later, buddy." Shane tried look enthusiastic, to Declan at least, but that was far from what he felt and how he looked.

"Okay." Declan, content enough with that answer, turned to go back to his bedroom.


	18. Chapter 18

I apologize for not updating this sooner! Hope ya'll enjoy!

* * *

Shane, Mike, Dave, Evan and Marissa waited until Declan was out of the room, and had re-joined his younger brother. They didn't want to involve Declan and Kenyon in their conversation whatsoever. Shane was not going to allow that by any means. For that matter, none of them were going to allow that. They were not going to expose them to what was going on at the moment.

"You think Brooke will end up callin or textin me back?" Shane asked hesitantly, looking around to everyone in the room.

"I'm pretty sure she will. She just needs some time to cool off." Evan replied quickly.

"I think Evan's right." Marissa patted Shane on the back, trying to keep the mood positive and tensionless. "I think eventually she'll get curious and want to know what the scuffle was about and she'll want an explanation for what happened after."

"I hope so. I cannot lose her."

The room fell silent yet again, no one knowing what else there was to say or do that hadn't already been. All they could do now was wait. They were all under the same conclusion that the proverbial ball was now in Brooklyn's court. Once they knew that everything was right again between her and Shane, they could move on to the next step. That being, dealing with the three multi-generational talents that comprised the faction known to the WWE Universe as Legacy.

None of them knew exactly how they would deal with Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes. They knew that however they decided to handle the situation, they would deal with it together – as a team.

Shane and Marissa went to say goodnight to Declan and Kenyon, when they both were shocked to hear Marissa's Blackberry ringing in the living room. Shane looked at her with wonder and confusion.

"I have no clue as to who would be callin me at this hour." Marissa said when she saw the look in Shane's eyes.

"You should go answer it." Shane replied.

"I'll let it go to voicemail for now. Getting the boys taken care of is more important. I'll call whoever it is back later on."

About twenty minutes later, Shane and Marissa returned to the living room. They once again reclaimed their spots on the couch and chair.

Marissa grabbed her Blackberry to check and see who it was that had called. She was shocked when she saw that it had been Brooke who had called. She was also somewhat relieved, too. It meant Brooke was ready to listen. To her, at least. She hoped that's what it meant.

She hoped it meant that she had been right when she'd said what she'd said earlier to Shane.

Marissa thumbed through the numbers stored in her Blackberry, looking for Brooke's number. After a few moments, she found it and pressed send.

"Hello?" Marissa heard on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Brooke." Marissa kept her voice light and relaxed. "It's Rissa."

"Hey, Rissa." Brooke kept the tone of her voice equal to Marissa's. "What's up?"

Marissa paused, somewhat unsure of the calm and cool demeanor in Brooke's voice. It unnerved her more than it should of. "Not much. Shane and I just put the boys to bed." she replied with a slight yawn.

Hearing the breath catch in Brooke's throat, Marissa almost instantaneously felt bad and regretted saying that. She wasn't trying to seem insensitive or cruel. It was more out of not wanting to lie to Brooke that she responded like that. "I'm sorry, Brooke." She nibbled on her bottom lip, afraid she would lose what could potentially be her only shot to help convince her to come over to Shane's loft for the explanation he was so desperate to give her. "I shouldn't have mentioned him."

Brooke sighed. News travels fast, she thought to herself. The more she thought about it, the more she came to the conclusion that she realized she wasn't surprised that Marissa had heard about what had happened at Titan Towers in the least. "So then I take it you've heard." she replied somewhat glumly.

"Yeah." The glumness in Marissa's voice was just as evident as it was in Brooke's only moments before. "They told me when I got here."

"I see." Brooke replied hesitantly.

Marissa paused again as she stood from the spot on the couch she'd been occupying and headed for the kitchen. "You okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah." There was a short pause from Brooke. "I'm fine, Rissa."

Marissa sighed. She could tell by the uncertainty in Brooke's voice that she wasn't fine. It was blatantly obvious that Brooke was very shaken up. "I **really **think you should come over here and talk to Shane." she replied.

"Marissa..." Brooke paused momentarily to maintain her steeled composure. "I don't think I could do that."

"Why not?" Marissa asked a little more harsher tone than she'd intended.

"You weren't there, Marissa." The harshness in Brooke's voice was equal to that of Marissa's. "You didn't see what happened."

"I'm sorry, Brooke." Marissa nervously paced back and forth across the kitchen. "I didn't mean it to sound like that."

"Look..." The irritation in Brooke's voice came down an octave. "I'm kind of busy right now. Did you need something in particular?"

"I really need you to come over here." Marissa tried not to reveal too much or to be to pushy, but she didn't have any other options left. Without Brooke, they couldn't deal with Legacy. She had to be willing to help them, or they would fail. "There's more to what you saw at Titan Towers."

There was a silence on the other end of the line. Marissa knew then that she had piqued Brooke's interest.


	19. Chapter 19

Brooke was silent for what seemed like an eternity to Marissa. "Hello?" Marissa brought the phone back to her ear after making sure her Blackberry hadn't dropped the call. "Brooke?"

"Yeah, Rissa. I'm still here." Brooke replied, confusion and impatience oozing from her voice.

"You okay? You seem upset about something." Marissa felt kind of idiotic as she thought about the comment as soon as the words left her lips. "I mean... upset about something other than what happened at Titan Towers."

"I'm fine." Brooke replied with a sigh. "I'm just a little confused about the events of the evening."

"I know you are, Brooke, and that's why I really think you should come over to Shane's."

"What does my being confused have anything to do with comin over to Shane's?" Brooke quickly shot back.

Marissa put her free hand on her hip, trying to keep her frustration and irritation under control. She didn't exactly like dealing Brooke when she was in one of her stubborn, bull-headed, and stand-offish moods – much like the one she was in now. "Come over to Shane's and I promise everything will be explained." she replied.

"How bout you just save me the trip and the trouble of being rude to my company by explaining it to me right now, over the phone."

"Your "company"?" Marissa asked curiously.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Yes, Rissa." She cleared her throat, trying to maintain her quickly dwindling quota of daily patience. "If you must know... I'm having coffee with a close family friend."

"B, it's real important." The worry was starting seep through the carefully constructed facade of Marissa's. "We need to talk to you ASAP."

"Who is "we"?" Brooke asked.

"Shane, Mike, Dave, Evan and I." Marissa quickly answered.

"I knew it!" There was no mistaking the anger in Brooke's voice. "This is a new low... even for Shane." She felt tears welling up and pricking the edges of her eyes again. She didn't want a repeat of earlier. "I would've thought that you of all people would agree with that."

The sudden and sharp change in Brooke's voice shocked Marissa. She stood frozen in her tracks, unable to move. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Brooke?" she replied, somewhat offended.

"Rissa..." Brooke sighed, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Just forget I said anything." She was determined to maintain her composure. "Let's just end this conversation before something stupid or hurtful is said that we're gonna regret."

"A little late." Marissa murmured quietly.

"No..." Brooke steeled herself. "No, its not. And don't push the issue or I won't come over."

Marissa was relieved to hear that. It meant they could go forward in dealing with Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes. "I'll see you later then, I guess." she replied.

"Yep." Then the line went dead. Brooke hit the _end_ button on her I Phone, without saying another word to Marissa. She would save what she had to say for later at Shane's loft.


End file.
